NASHUA, NH — Conductor Jonathan McPhee and the combined orchestras of Lexington Symphony and Symphony NH will join together at Keefe Center for the Arts, 117 Elm St. in Nashua, on Sunday April 3 at 3 p.m. to present The Essential Ring, Part I. It will be a special three-hour program of selected music from German composer Richard Wagner’s epic Ring Cycle opera series.
Presented in cooperation with the Boston Wagner Society, this performance will also feature an impressive roster of renowned international vocalists.
With the goal of making one of the greatest musical experiences of all time accessible to all audiences, Maestro McPhee — who currently serves as Music Director for both Lexington Symphony and Symphony NH — has taken all four Ring Cycle operas and distilled them into two magnificent three-hour performances, keeping all of the essential elements. This premiere of Part 1 will focus on the first two Ring Cycle operas, “Das Rheingold” and “Die Walküre,” which are loosely based on characters from the Norse sagas.
“My guiding principle in creating The Essential Ring was to include as many of the great ‘arias’ and landmark orchestral selections as possible, and to make key transitions relatively smooth and invisible,” says McPhee. “Within these parameters, the storyline has been retained in vocal terms while always remaining true to the dramatic flow of the work.”
Taking the stage with Lexington Symphony and Symphony NH to bring the vocals of this inspiring musical masterpiece to life will be Margaret Jane Wray, soprano; Jane Eaglen, soprano; Joanna Porackova, mezzo-soprano; Thomas Studebaker, tenor; Sarai Cole, soprano; Frank Kelley, tenor; Alfred Walker, bass-baritone; Sam Handley, bass-baritone; and Pawel Izdebski, bass. “My hope is that the audience will be carried off by the beauty and power of the voices and the music, and that they will leave wanting to experience more of Wagner’s masterful theatricality,” says McPhee, who will bring Lexington Symphony and Symphony NH together again in their 2016–2017 seasons for The Essential Ring, Part II.
More information about the premier can be found at symphonynh.org or by calling (603) 595-9156. Tickets range from $62 to $20 with special discounts for seniors, students, and youth. The Essential Ring, Part I will also be presented at Cary Hall in Lexington, MA, on Saturday, April 2nd at 7:30 p.m. Tickets and information for this performance are available at www.lexingtonsymphony.org.